The next few hours were a whirlwind. We got Justin Lee to a secure medical facility and into protective hands he insisted I could trust. The facility was halfway around the tiny planet, in a remote ore-finding station deep into the dead zone underground, where no breathable air was present. Even while his doctors were running a battery of tests on the delf he continued giving orders to counter a potential air-based cult attack.
Justin Lee ordered more ships into the air around Midnight. He increased the number of protective patrols in the planet’s various orbits in space as well. On the planet, cultural centers and sensitive affiliate locations had their security increased while lithe silver fighters whined overhead at all hours.
In spite of the medical unit’s orders to rest, Justin Lee kept himself in talks with the House of None’s parent affiliate within Silken Sands. He quickly negotiated BlueCleave military aid. Given the nature of the attack on the mine in Lithtin, Silken Sands Knowle Leadership council passed an emergency deployment order, and an entire wing of the world’s fleet deployed to protect its interests.
The fleet sent to us was led by one of three Crown of Thorns style capital ships, the Foregone Conclusion. So named because of its primary role in the multiverse, a defensive bastion against attack. The powerful relic ship would deploy in orbit of a world with a valued resource and stay until security was assured, by one method or another.
When it appeared in the sky above MIdnight, the public’s reaction was mixed. Many were afraid; the machine in their skies was a notoriously dangerous sign of system instability and impending violence. The other side of that equation was relief that a strong military presence was there to handle any violence for the regular people of MIdnight.
Fortunately, our methods of interrogation were not only humane, they were effective and started producing names for us to run down. Agents came to us on loan from House of None Intelligence, otherwise known as HONI, who in turn subcontracted from an affiliate called Chris Holt's Interrogation & Interview Services. The ad for the affiliate noted that they find the truth without breaking a sweat or a finger, and that they specialized in theft, fraud, insider threats, and terrorism, making them the top choice for rooting out dishonesty fast. And from a quick look through the reviews, I realized they really were top notch. Clients noted that the agents would establish a rapport with their target, and offer improvements in the arrested cult member’s situation. Within the first day, we had half a dozen leads for security officers to follow up on.
I rode along on the highest profile arrest of the day, using my armored frame to bring the eventual confrontation to a peaceful end with minimal injury. The delf we arrested was a film star. A quick analysis of his filmography showcased a primal hatred of Nu-Earth humans and plenty of Cult of Eternal Darkness pieces.
He was so brazen that he often took roles as high-ranking cult officials in his films. I subdued his security, and the actor himself submitted to arrest willingly. As he was being pushed into a hovercraft outside of his elaborate cliffside mansion, he revealed to the gathered press that he did indeed have a suicide pill in his tooth. He had merely decided not to use it.
By the time the sun was going down on the day of the Morning of Long Knives, the House of None security forces had made significant progress toward shutting down the cult for good. Arrests continued, as did killings and suicides as the various levels of the cult collapsed.
After the very public morning attack, Justin’s board had met to pass several new security initiatives and orders. Our enemy on the board protested loudly in public, proclaiming the new measures to be draconian and counter to the House of None’s place within delvish society. The various interviews of arrested cult members were all leading up to him, and once we had a direct line of confession, he was fair game. Until then, we stayed hands off and allowed him to do as he pleased.
Justin Lee conducted an interview explaining the situation from his hospital bed that evening, which immediately went viral on both Midnight and Nu-Earth. My campaign forwarded me the information from our various data scrapers. In essence, it meant Nu-Earth was invested in the Cult of Eternal Darkness as much as Midnight herself was. All eyes that mattered to the election were on us.
Midnight was suddenly a main campaign issue. An active test of my leadership capabilities.
Polls started coming in that night, reflecting the cult’s influence on the upcoming election. Opinions were still varied, but support for the clean-up efforts was undeniable even for my detractors. They quibbled about my methods where they could find reason to, but ultimately even Axle himself was forced to verbally state his support for the House of None’s efforts.
I took the opportunity to meet with BlueCleave’s commanding officer in charge of the defensive fleet. It wasn’t her idea, and I was certain Axle was fuming about it, but I didn’t leave them much choice when I made my invitation public.
Press were everywhere, following us like seabirds after a fishing boat. It was easy to pull one aside and announce that I was hoping to meet for a defense summit, to share operational information. After that, questions immediately started flying asking why BlueCleave wasn’t responding. Within hours, they caved and I met with the Admiral in command of the fleet, my old friend Phyllis.
She arrived at our predetermined meeting place wearing the naval uniform of BlueCleave, a navy-blue jumpsuit with her rank pinned to her collar. Only when she approached me with cameras clattering did I notice how physically petite the woman was. Her mech suit shined from under her collar, ready to deploy as needed, but the woman herself seemed almost vulnerable without the massive mechanical seating I was used to seeing her in.
“Thank you for coming, Admiral,” I said politely as we shook hands. We met at a rented estate on a cliff overlooking a waterfall. Mansions were everywhere on Midnight, so it wasn’t difficult to rent one.
She grimaced and nodded. “Thank you for the invitation. Of course BlueCleave and Silken Sands wish to cooperate with the defense of Midnight. The House of None is a valued associate. We look out for our own.”
“Is that so?” I asked. “The Knowle Institute of History has provided me with several documented attacks on Midnight from the Cult of Eternal Darkness, spanning the last century. None of them warranted direct BlueCleave response.”
Her blue eyes narrowed. “Midnight has always handled its own problems, no invitation or request for aid was received before now.”
I nodded. “Just so. It’s good to be working together again, whatever the situation.”
Phyllis nearly halted in the middle of sitting down, glaring up at me with an instant of open hostility before her professional calm demeanor came back. “Yes, thank you Warlord.”
I waved my hands as if warding off the word. “I’ve rejected that title since my return. I am not a warlord any longer.”
“Then I must ask, in what capacity are you defending Midnight?” she asked.
“A principled consultant, and old friend,” I immediately replied. “I have some experience chasing down cultists, and the House of None’s CEO is a personal friend of mine from the days of the Church War. Having that kind of interpersonal relationship is important in a business relationship, after all.”
“I suppose it isn’t lost on you that the Cult of Eternal Darkness was founded, in part, to kill you if you ever returned?” Phyllis asked, icy glare still on me.
“Not at all. I can’t help but feel responsible. The cult’s leadership is primarily composed of former Church middle manager types. Not quite the big bad guys I went after, but their underlings and mailroom clerks,” I joked. “I’m merely finishing what I started, and trying to help as many of these mis-guided delves as possible. There’s been more than enough death for one day.”
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Phyllis stared at me for a long moment before she took a deep breath and sighed. “Very well, what tactic would you like to discuss publicly, for all who may listen to hear?”
“Our operation is above-board. No secrets from the public, especially during a time like this. Loved ones are still missing, and many in Lithtin are grieving tonight. Justin Lee and I are engaged in the hard reality of leadership. The cult is a security threat, and is being dealt with as such,” I said, facing the cameras and ignoring Phyllis for a moment.
“But the House of None is above all, a civil affiliate. Cult involvement is being treated as a mental health emergency for the cultists themselves, and any of them we can save we absolutely try to help,” I recited. “Justice and public aid, both being meted out in a time of need. I see this type of security action as priority number one for any responsible affiliate leadership.”
“Very well,” Phyllis said flatly. “How can the Foregone Conclusion fleet be of assistance?”
“I don’t wish to alarm anyone, but the few cult remnants are well-equipped. They have ships, and the next attack is most likely to come from those ships. All we need is for your fleet to coordinate with House of None Security forces to control the skies over midnight. We must ensure commerce continues as we secure against any threats,” I said.
“Of course,” she replied. “Our officers are already in contact with House of None Security, and are coordinating flight patterns as we speak.”
“Excellent, that allows you and I to catch up a little,” I said. I turned and faced the press, signaling my security detail. A web of drones above us on the mountainside came to life and began destroying the press's camera drones. House of None security forces emerged from the nearby building and began escorting the gathered press away, bundling them into for-hire hovercraft and securing privacy for me and my guest.
Phyllis and I waited a long moment, until one of the delves in my employ flashed me an ‘all clear’ signal from the driveway.
“You’re good at this,” Phyllis said.
I shrugged. “I have to be. Part of the job.”
“What job?” she snapped. “From what I can tell, you don’t have one.”
I smiled gently and nodded. “Do you really think Axle is up to running the affiliate? You’ve had a century under him. Your opinion means a lot.”
Phyllis scowled, then blinked rapidly and looked away. “I’ve never much liked anyone in power.”
“Of course not. You fought the Nazis. As a child you fought them. I can’t imagine you’d look at anyone in control of so much military capability with a positive eye,” I said. “Why else would you have served him all these years if not to prevent more harm than has already happened?”
Phyllis looked quickly over both shoulders, then leaned across the table toward me. “What are you trying to say?”
“I’m trying to say I miss you, Phyll,” I replied. “I mean that.”
“The feeling isn’t mutual,” she grunted.
“Of course not. I was your commander, a figure you were always going to mistrust. But now we’re both free of that dynamic, and I wanted you to know that I missed you. Miss you, actively. I wish you were on my side in all this,” I told her.
After a short pause, she shrugged. “What could you miss about me? I was a drugged-out cantankerous bitch. Can’t remember throwing a kind word your way.”
“Just that. You, among all my many friends, employees, and helpers, you alone never once lied to me. You always told me the exact truth, no matter how mean you had to be to do it. You were the one advisor I could always trust to steer me in the right direction, and call me out when I did wrong,” I said. “I miss that.”
I looked into her eyes and watched as emotions played across her face in subtle ways.
“Did you really not know how much I valued your input? How much I valued you, Phyll?” I asked.
She startled, blinked several times, then looked up warily. “Well good. You’re dumb. You should listen to smart people.”
I smiled lightly. “You’re not wrong there. But tell me, what are you, as smart as you are, doing enthralled to Axle? You know what he is. What he did.”
“What did he do?” Phyllis asked, struggling to meet my eyes.
“Only one person, in all of Silken Sands, had access to my gate travel records. There isn’t anyone else in the entire BuyMort system who could have told Admiral Omen where I took the Thread of Fate. Axle betrayed me, to my death. Or as close as I get, anyway. It was blind luck I recharged in that solar system, just random chance and orbital mechanics, Phyll,” I explained. “Axle tried to kill me, and changed the fate of every living being in this system when he did it. Including yours.”
Phyllis said nothing for a long moment, and I gave her the time and space to process what I had told her. Axle and Omen had taken the opportunity I gave them, and used my trust in them both against me.
“You’re assuming I don’t agree with his decision,” she finally said in a small voice.
“Do you?” I asked.
“No,” she admitted. “I just don’t want to give you the pleasure of being right.”
“We’re old friends Phyll,” I said, gently. “Being right in an argument isn’t something I cling to. But you’ve always been right about me. About who I am. In fact, if you tell me to drop out of the race for CEO and go live a quiet life somewhere in the multiverse, I will.”
Phyllis scowled. “You’d stop? Just because I told you to?”
“No, Phyllis. I’d stop because you’ve never once lied to me, or been wrong about who I am at any given moment. I’d stop because I trust you,” I reiterated. “If you really think I’m going to make things worse, I’ll step aside and let you clean up BlueCleave.”
The young woman across from me ground her teeth and grimaced. For a few quiet moments, I stared at her as she wrestled with herself. Finally, she took a deep breath and sighed it out. “You win again,” she muttered.
“Nothing to win here, Phyll. Just my oldest friend and I talking. You’re the last person I would want to fight,” I told her.
“What is all this shit with the Cubes then?” she asked, sitting back in her chair with a scowl. “Why are you running around with a non-profit? Other than chasing skirts, of course.”
“Because I can,” I answered with a shrug. “I finally have the time to do some of the things I care about, and there’s a lot of messes I feel the need to clean up.”
“BlueCleave among them?” she snapped.
“Yes, BlueCleave among them. You can’t tell me that you’re happy about the way things have been going, can you?” I asked.
She scowled. “Oh of course. I love endless war and authoritarian military structures.”
“Then why stay part of it?” I asked. “No accusations this time, I just want to know what’s kept you part of this machine for all these years.”
“At first it was you, strangely enough,” she said. “You and Molls. She convinced me to help her find out what had happened to you, back before her rebellion broke out. Axle made sure to keep me far away from her after that. I think he knew he couldn’t trust me when she was involved. I never got confirmation that he was behind your disappearance. Molls always suspected, of course.”
“I never deserved her,” I said.
“Agreed,” Phyllis snapped back, a sharp grin on her lips. I chuckled and shook my head.
“The women I’m dating now are a comfort, Phyllis. I don’t think I’ll ever love someone the way I loved Molls.” I sat back in my chair and looked up at Midnight’s dark sky. The only light that twinkled in the pitch-black sky was the ice giant, far in the distance near the BuyMort gate. Even to my enhanced vision, there were no stars.
“I’m trying not to hurt them, and I'm picking women who likely won’t stay at my side and become the kind of target that Molls became,” I continued. “But I don’t know that I’m capable of that kind of love again.”
Phyllis stared at me while I spoke, then shook her head. “Give it time, Tyson. You’re still young.”
I chuckled and smiled from one side of my mouth. “If you say so.”
“Would you really drop out if I asked you to?” Phyllis suddenly asked.
I nodded slowly. “It looks like I’m functionally immortal, so I can take my time with any projects I have outstanding. Being CEO of Silken Sands again would provide me with a lot of tools, make things happen much faster. But I won’t do it if you honestly think I would make things worse.”
“What’s the other end of that?” she asked. “What would you do if you became CEO now?”
“Try to help. I’d stop the wars, stabilize the multiverse, and clean up my old messes,” I said. “Terna’s World in particular, I hate what’s happened there.”
Phyllis frowned. “I do too, and I’m sorry I ever accepted the orders to move against them. It wasn’t supposed to end like this, and we were desperate. They were withholding food, their independence was no longer an option.”
“I know Terna, and she can be talked to. Reasoned with. There’s no way she’d starve the people of Nu-Earth without a serious reason,” I said. “And I’ve read the histories. I know BlueCleave had a presence on Terna’s world before the food shortages. They were there to secure her Kitchen Sink weapons, which is what began the hostilities in the first place.”
Phyllis scowled. “I know.”
“Then you know you weren’t justified in occupying her planet,” I replied.
“Not at the time, I didn’t. Axle . . . his leadership council, they were so convincing. Things were so dire, our options so limited,” she said, emotion obvious in her voice.
“You have a chance to make it right, Phyll. We both do. We can end this conflict, and fix this system. We can make it livable,” I said. “From Nu-Earth to Storage, we can make people’s lives better, if we work together.”
“How?” Phyllis asked in a sigh. “What can I do?”
“Endorse my campaign,” I answered.
Her eyes went wide and she stared at me for another long, silent moment. Then she nodded and moved to stand. “Okay. After we’re done here, I will.”